They’re ready to have a crack at a squad in a different jersey.

“I’m excited just to kick the season off, to see how we’re going to come out in our first game,” sophomore guard Durrell Summers said. “We all know what happened last year in that exhibition game (against Grand Valley State). We have to come out a lot harder than we did last year. The first game tells the tale of the whole season. We have to look forward to proving ourselves in the first game.”

The Spartans don’t want a repeat of last year’s 85-82 double-overtime loss to a team they should have rolled past.

With the addition of three highly recruited freshmen, the Spartans are looking deadlier than ever, especially in reference to Roe’s contribution while battling back from rehabilitation of his knees.

Not even the Spartans know the official starting five, as Izzo and his staff have not announced the list yet.

Roe finding a role

As the weeks have pressed on, Roe has seen more and more action in practice.

It started off as just a fourth of the drills and scrimmaging. But with his doctor recently clearing him to go full speed, Roe has seen more than 75 percent of Izzo’s daily practices, getting him closer and closer to exactly where he wants to be.

“It beats the alternative, not doing nothing,” Roe said. “I’m doing more and more each week. Saturday was a big test, to see if I would swell up or anything after (the Green and White game) and I didn’t.”

Although his teammates respect Roe and the coaching staff’s decision to take it easy on him, they all know Roe’s presence is electric when he steps out onto the hardwood.

And senior guard Travis Walton said Roe doesn’t need to sky over an opponent and throw down a one-handed jam to impress those watching.

He’ll grind a player down and beat him senseless by doing things the old-fashioned way.

“I think for the fans, as they watch the game and they see him, they’re going to say, ‘That’s why he was ranked so high,’” Walton said. “He isn’t going to come out there and throw a behind-the-back pass or do something that you would think a high-rated guy would do. At the same time, he is going to come in and play hard.”

Sophomore guard Kalin Lucas said he can only imagine what Roe is going through.

“We really need him out there,” Lucas said. “He has played very, very hard. He’s just tough, always rebounding and playing hard, shooting (well). He’s a fun guy to be around, a fun guy to play with.”